GATHER PERTINENT INFORMATION

Before you can go further in the design process, you need to collect all the information available that relates to the problem. Novice designers will quickly skip over this step and proceed to the generation of alternative solutions. You will find, however, that effortspent searching for information about your problem will pay big dividends later in the design process. Gathering pertinent information can reveal facts about the problem that result in a redefinition of the problem. You may discover mistakes and false starts made by other designers. Information gathering for most design problems begins with asking the following questions. If the problem addresses a need that is new, then there are no existing solutions to the problems, so obviously some of the questions would not be asked.

· Is the problem real and its statement accurate?

· Is there really a need for a new solution or has the problem already been solved?

· What are the existing solutions to the problem?

· What is wrong with the way the problem is currently being solved?

· What is right about the way the problem is currently being solved?

· What companies manufacture the existing solution to the problem?

· What are the economic factors governing the solution?

· How much will people pay for a solution to the problem?

· What other factors are important to the problem solution (such as safety,

aesthetics and environmental issues)?

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ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS

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Develop a Problem Statement

The first step in the problem-solving process, therefore, is to formulate the problem in clear and unambiguous terms. Defining the problem is not the same as recognizing a need.

The problem definition statement results from first identifying a need. The engineer at the

airbag company responded to a need to reduce the number of airbag inflation failures. He

made a mistake, however, in not formulating a clear definition of the problem before generating a solution. Once a need has been established, engineers define that need in

terms of an engineering design problem statement. To reach a clear definition, they collect data, run experiments, and perform computations that allow that need to be expressed as part of an engineering problem-solving process.

Consider for example the statement "Design a better mousetrap." This statement is not an adequate problem definition for an engineering design problem. It expresses a vague dissatisfaction with existing mousetraps and therefore establishes a need. An engineer would take this statement of need and conduct further research to identify what was lacking in existing mousetrap designs. After further investigation the engineer may discover that existing mousetraps are inadequate because they don't provide protection from the deadly Hantavirus carried by mice. Therefore, a better mousetrap may be one that is sanitary and does not expose human beings to the Hantavirus. From this need, the problem definition is modified to read, "Design a mousetrap that allows for the sanitary disposal of the trapped mouse, minimizing human exposure to the Hantavirus."

The problem statement should specifically address the real need yet be broad enough not to preclude certain solutions. A broad definition of the problem allows you to look at a wide range of alternative solutions before you focus on a specific solution. The temptation at this point in the design process is to develop a  preconceived mental "picture" of the problem solution. For example, you could define the better mousetrap

problem as "Design a mousetrap that sprays the trapped mouse with disinfectant." This statement is clear and specific, but it is also too narrow. It excludes many potentially innovative solutions. If you focus on a specific picture or idea for solving the problem at this stage of the design process, you may never discover the truly innovative solutions to the problem. A problem statement should be concise and flexible enough to allow for

creative solutions.

Here is one possible problem definition statement for our better mousetrap problem:

A Better Mousetrap: Certain rodents such as the common mouse are carriers and transmitters of an often fatal virus, the Hantavirus. Conventional mousetraps expose people to this virus as they handle the trap and dispose of the mouse. Design a mousetrap that allows a person to trap and dispose of a mouse without being exposed to any bacterial or viral agents being carried on the mouse.

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ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS

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DEFINE THE PROBLEM

You need to begin the solution to a design problem with a clear, unambiguous definition of the problem. Unlike an analysis problem, a design problem often begins as a vague, abstract idea in the mind of the designer. Creating a clear definition of a design problem is more difficult than, defining an analysis problem. The definition of a design problem may evolve through a series of steps or processes as you develop a more complete understanding of the problem.

Identify and Establish the Need

Engineering design activity always occurs in response to a human need. Before you can develop a problem definition statement for a design problem, you need to recognize the need for a new product, system, or machine. Thomas Newcomen saw the need for a machine to pump the water from the bottom of coal mines in England. Recognizing this human need provided him the stimulus for designing the first steam engine in 1712.

Before engineers can clearly define a design problem, they must see and understand this need.

Although engineers are generally involved in defining the problem, they may not be the ones who initially recognize the need. In private industry, market forces generally establish the need for a new design. A company's survival depends on producing a product that people will buy and can be manufactured and sold at a profit. Ultimately, consumers establish a need, because they will purchase and use a product that they

perceive as meeting a need for comfort, health, recreation, transportation, shelter, and so on. Likewise, the citizens of a government decide whether they need safe drinking water, roads and highways, libraries, schools, fire protection, and so on.

The perceived need, however, may not be the real need. Before you delve into the details of producing a solution, you need to make sure you have enough information to generate a clear, unambiguous problem definition that addresses the real need. The following example illustrates the importance of understanding the need before attempting a solution.

Example: Automobile Airbag Inflation - How Not to Solve a Problem

A company that manufactures automobile airbags has a problem with an unacceptably high rate of failure in the inflation of the bag. During testing, 10 percent of the bags do not fully inflate. An engineer is assigned the job of solving the problem. At first the engineer defines the problem as a failure in the materials and construction of the inflation device. The engineer begins to solve this problem by producing a more robust inflation device. After considerable effort, the engineer discovers that improving the inflation device does not change the failure rate in the bags. Eventually, this engineer re-examines the initial definition of the problem. The company investigates the airbag inflation  problem further and discovers that a high degree of variability in the tightness of folds is

responsible for the failure of some bags to inflate. At the time the bags were folded and packed by people on an assembly line. With a more complete understanding of the need, the engineer redefined the problem as one of increasing the consistency in tightness of the folds in the bags. The final solution to this problem is a machine that automatically folds the bags.

Often the apparent need is not the real need. A common tendency is to begin generating a solution to an apparent problem without understanding the problem. This approach is exactly the wrong way to begin solving a problem such as this. You would be generating solutions to a problem that has never been defined.

People have a natural tendency to attack the current solution to a problem rather than the problem itself. Attacking a current solution may eliminate inadequacies but will not produce a creative and innovative solution. For example, the engineer at the airbag company could have only looked at the current method for folding airbags-using humans on an assembly line. The engineer might have solved the problem with inconsistent tightness by modifying the assembly line procedure. However, the final solution to the problem proved to be more cost effective and reliable, in addition to producing a superior consistency in the tightness of the folds.

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ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS

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THE DESIGN PROCESS

The basic five-step process usually used in a problem-solving works for design problems as well. Since design problems are usually defined more vaguely and have a multitude of correct answers, the process may require backtracking and iteration. Solving a design problem is a contingent process and the solution is subject to unforeseen complications and changes as it develops. Until the Wright brothers actually built and tested their early gliders, they did not know the problems and difficulties they would face controlling a powered plane.

The five steps used for solving design problems are:

1. Define the problem

2. Gather pertinent information

3. Generate multiple solutions

4. Analyze and select a solution

5. Test and implement the solution

The first step in the design process is the problem definition. This definition usually contains a listing of the product or customer requirements and specially information about product functions and features among other things. In the next step, relevant information for the design of the product and its functional specifications is obtained. A survey regarding the availability of similar products in the market should be performed at this stage. Once the details of the design are clearly identified, the design team with inputs from test, manufacturing, and marketing teams generates multiple alternatives to achieve the goals and the requirements of the design. Considering cost, safety, and other criteria for selection, the more promising alternatives are selected for further analysis.

Detail design and analysis step enables a complete study of the solutions and result in identification of the final design that best fits the product requirements. Following this step, a prototype of the design is constructed and functional tests are performed to verify and possibly modify the design.

When solving a design problem, you may find at any point in the process that you need to go back to a previous step. The solution you chose may prove unworkable for any number of reasons and may require redefining the problem, collecting more information, or generating different solutions. This continuous iterative process is represented in the following Figure.

This document intends to clarify some of the details involved in implementing the design process. Therefore a description of the details involved in each step of the design process is listed below. Although the descriptions of the activities within each step may give the impression that the steps are sequential and independent from each other, the iterative nature of the application of the process should be kept in mind throughout the document.

ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS

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